


Maksim

by hobbit_hedgehog



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Bucky has a cat, Cats, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, No Slash, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 13:58:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbit_hedgehog/pseuds/hobbit_hedgehog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a mission, Bucky becomes a cat owner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maksim

**Author's Note:**

> So, a few days ago I saw this post on Tumblr ( http://cas-the-cat.tumblr.com/post/84530065462 ) and absolutely fell in love with the idea of Bucky owning a cat. I'm going to hope to God that I didn't screw up the very very very very basic things I translated into Russian and Bulgarian, but if I did, please tell me and I will correct them. Enjoy!

_"Intercept zone dead ahead. Do we have eyes in the sky?"_

_"Roger that Cap, Sam's in position."_

_"Nat, you in place?"_

_"Naturally."_

_"Got eyes on your six Cap."_

_"Thanks Clint. Bucky, you there?"_

_"I gotcha Steve."_

_"Engage on my mark."_

Bucky inhaled slowly and quietly before exhaling, his finger barely squeezing the trigger of the M40 currently mounted on a window ledge in a rundown apartment building overlooking a seemingly innocent warehouse in Varna, Bulgaria. Though the inhabitants of Varna weren't aware of it, the warehouse held one of the smaller remaining HYDRA bases in Eastern Europe. Since the crime rate had dropped significantly over the last several years, it made sense to Bucky that HYDRA would have a smaller base in the city. What better place to set up small operations than in a safe tourist destination.

The mission itself was a quick and easy one. HYDRA intel was being moved from the warehouse before the base was to be set ablaze. There was a small window of time in which the HYDRA agent responsible for moving the intel would be out in the open as they moved from the warehouse to a armored truck. Natasha and Steve were on the ground, ready to jump the agent with the intel. Sam was above, watching to make sure that no one made a break for it. If they did, he would be on them in an instant. Clint and Bucky were on backup in case Natasha and Steve were in over their heads. All in all, it would be a smooth operation. Bucky would make sure of that.

As Bucky peered through the scope, he heard a quiet rustling sound behind him. Bucky snapped around, sidearm raised as he looked through the open doorway behind him. Seeing nothing, Bucky lowered his sidearm, realizing that he had missed Steve say something as Steve hissed his name repeatedly into the com.

_"Buck? Bucky, you there?"_

"Yeah, still here," Bucky hissed back. "I thought I heard something behind me."

_"The target's almost at the door and is stepping outside in thirty seconds max. Stay focused."_

Just as Steve uttered those words, there was a slight push against Bucky's calf. Bucky spun around and looked down, expecting enemy tech. He wasn't expecting to find a small, black ball of fur. Bucky relaxed, his breath coming out in a stuttered flow; it was just a cat. The cat gave a small meow before brushing up against Bucky's leg. Bucky noted that the cat had one yellow eye and its ears were tattered. It was probably a stray cat that got into a lot of fights. Bucky smiled softly and reached down to pat the cat's head.

"Ya scared me a bit there," Bucky muttered to the cat. "Tell ya what: I've got a job to do real quick so I'll pet you afterwards, deal?"

The cat gave Bucky a look before flopping onto its side and purring loudly. Bucky turned back to the window and pressed his eye to the scope. On the street below, Nat and Steve seemed to be holding their own, though Bucky thought that a little assistance couldn't hurt. Bucky took aim at the shoulder of a HYDRA agent that was getting a little too close to Steve and squeezed the trigger slightly. Before his finger could press down all the way, he felt a pressure on his shoulder which was accompanied by a loud purring in his ear.

"No, down kitty!" Bucky hissed as he tried to nudge the cat off his shoulder.

The cat refused to move. Bucky scowled at the animal and tried Russian.

"Heт кошка!" Bucky snapped.

Still, the cat refused to move. Frustrated, Bucky snapped at the cat in Bulgarian.

"He кoтка!" Bucky whispered as he shook his shoulder once again.

The cat dug its claws into Bucky's shoulder, hanging on. Bucky groaned, unwilling to use more force than was strictly necessary against the animal. With a sigh, Bucky looked into the scope once more, only to see the remnants of the fight and the others nowhere to be seen. There was a pounding of feet on the stairs and Bucky turned just in time to see Steve, Natasha and Sam in the doorway.

"He in there?" Came Clint's voice from the hall.

"Yeah…" Steve responded slowly, "With a…. cat?"

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Just… Don't ask. It won't leave me alone."

Natasha grinned and walked toward Bucky. She extended her hand and the cat leaned forward to sniff it before meowing softly. Natasha's grin widened and she stroked down the cat's back before bringing her hand back up to scratch its ears.

"What an adorable cat," Natasha cooed. "And if the mean old Winter Soldier brings you home, Liho can have a friend!"

Bucky frowned at Natahsa, "I don't live anywhere close to where you live Nat. And you and I are in the same boat. I'm too mobile to have a cat. If you can't take care of one, then I sure as hell can't."

"Oh come on Bucky," Natasha said, "owning a cat would do you good. You'd learn how to care for something, have something be entirely dependent on you. It'd be good for you."

"This coming from you," Bucky muttered. "And besides, even if Liho and this one were to get acquainted, then how are we supposed to tell them apart?"

"Bucky," Steve interjected as he tapped the bone just below his eye.

Bucky opened his mouth to retort, but realized he had nothing to say. He turned his head slightly to glare at the cat before grumbling curses in Russian under his breath.

"What the hell am I even going to call it?" Bucky snapped.

~~

A month of cat owning was almost more than enough for Bucky. The cat needed shots, the cat needed food, the cat needed space to move around, the cat needed stuff to do, the cat needed a litter box (which needed to constantly be cleaned), the cat needed a sitter when Bucky was away on extended missions, the cat needed attention. Bucky was in no way shape or form used to taking care of something other than himself. Bucky supposed it could be worse. The cat, now named Maksim, only really craved Bucky's attention at six in the morning and six at night, Maksim's self appointed feeding times, and whenever Bucky returned from long missions. Otherwise, Maksim seemed pretty self sufficient. Still, a lot of Bucky's extra time and money went in to caring for that cat. Bucky just wasn't used to it. He also wasn't used to the influx of company that came with cat adoption.

Everyone seemed to leap at the opportunity to be a part of Maksim's life. Sam, Clint and Tony dropped by more often than they used to in order to see the small ball of fur wreck havoc on Bucky's apartment. Tony especially thought that giving Maksim catnip and watching him race around the small space before trying to climb Bucky's curtains was the funniest thing. Natasha would stop by with Wanda and Sharon in tow and the three of them would coo at Maksim for hours while he soaked up their attentions like a sponge. Steve would use his art as an excuse to see the cat, making Bucky a little more than jealous that his friend was just using him for his cat. 

"Doesn't anyone stop by to see me anymore?" Bucky jokingly snapped at Sam and Steve one night The two gave Bucky apologetic looks, but Bucky couldn't really blame them, Maksim was pretty cute.

One morning two months after Bucky brought Maksim home, he was awoken by Maksim making an odd chittering noise at the window. Bucky sat up and watched as the cat ran back and forth across the windowsill, chasing birds that he was never going to catch. Bucky chuckled as Maksim settled down at one end, chittering as a bird flew by.

"No luck this morning, huh Big Game Hunter?" Bucky asked Maksim as the cat stalked another bird.

At the sound of Bucky's voice, Maksim turned to look at Bucky, his yellow eye fixed on Bucky. With a low meow, Maksim got to his feet and leapt into Bucky's bed. Bucky scooted back so that his back was resting against the headboard and watched as Maksim slowly made his way up to Bucky, stretching as he went. Bucky gave the cat a small smile, taking in Maksim's tattered ears and single eye. As Maksim got closer, Bucky felt a swell of pride in his chest. This was his cat, equally banged up as Bucky was. This cat was his and this cat cared for him. Or, as much as cats were capable of caring for humans, Bucky wasn't entirely sure. Bucky assumed it was a lot, as Maksim chose that moment to crawl into Bucky's lap and began purring loudly. Bucky reached down and stroked Maksim's short fur. Maksim in turn stretched across Bucky and placed his paws on Bucky's chest, purring louder than before. Bucky leaned forward and nuzzled the cat. Bucky made a mental note to thank Natasha later, owning a cat really was the best thing to happen to him in a long time.


End file.
